Shatter the Bones

“Stumpy the Dwarven Queen” — was getting him cannabis, amyl nitrate — poppers, maybe some speed if it was coming up to exam time and Bruce needed to cram. And Bruce always needed to cram.’

‘Stumpy the Dwarven Queen?’

Peterson folded his arms, then crossed his legs. ‘Look, I’m really not comfortable talking about a dead friend behind his back, so if you’d like to save the sarcastic tones until you get back to the station, Sergeant, that’d be fine with me.’

‘Sarcastic tone, Mr Peterson? I think you’ll find I’m just trying to get to the bottom of a suspicious death. Surely that’s worth treading on a few sensibilities?’

The student’s nose came up. ‘You can’t “tread” on sensibilities, you have to “offend” them.’

Logan smiled. ‘If you insist: where were you yesterday afternoon between the hours of twelve and five?’

‘What?’ His eyes went wide. ‘My God, you’re actually serious. You think Bruce was murdered?’

‘And if you can give me the names and addresses of anyone who can confirm your whereabouts, that’ll be a great help.’ You arrogant little prick.

There was a bit of bluster, some self-righteous indignation, but eventually Peterson handed over the details of two friends who were with him most of the day watching DVDs and being pretentious. Logan took down the details. ‘Now: tell me about Alison McGregor.’

Peterson opened his mouth, puckered his forehead, then clamped his lips together. ‘Sorry?’

‘You were in the same psychology class as her.’

‘Well, yes… I mean, I went over all this with an Inspector McPherson-’

‘And now you’re going to go over it again.’ Logan shifted forward in the seat, getting close enough to make Peterson edge back, until his back was up against the wall.

‘I never really knew her. I mean, I knew who she was — well it’d be difficult not to when there’s paparazzi hanging about outside the lecture theatre — but we never really talked. I tend to be very campus orientated, and she lived on the other side of town, so I didn’t really see that much of her. Outside lectures and tutorials. Maybe a couple of times in the library.’ He rubbed a hand at the side of his neck. ‘It’s terrible, what’s happened, but I didn’t really know her. She seemed really popular…?’

Logan just sat there and stared at him. ‘Lots of friends? Especially when there were photographers about. I think some of the girls had a pool running on who could get their faces in the papers the most. You know, by talking to her while she was being snapped…’

More silence. ‘Erm…’ He licked his lips. ‘Look, I never really knew her, OK?’

‘I see.’ Logan didn’t move. ‘And I’ve got studying to do. So if there’s nothing-’

The Danse macabre blared out from Logan’s pocket. He pulled it out and hit the button. ‘McRae.’

‘Sarge?’ Rennie. ‘Where are you? I’m in the car park.’

Logan glanced up at Peterson. It wouldn’t hurt to take the patronizing little sod down a notch or two. ‘Yes, I’m speaking to him now.’

‘Eh? You in the pub already?’

‘No, he claims he,’ Loan checked his notebook, smothered a smile, ‘“never really knew her.”’

‘Knew…? Ah — I get it. OK.’

‘That’s right. Says he has an alibi for the Bruce Sangster death too.’

Peterson shifted from cheek to cheek. ‘I got everything you wanted from the archives, so I’m out at Hillhead, ready to crack the McGregor case!’

Logan stared at Craig Peterson until the student looked away. ‘No, I think I’ll take care of it personally.’

‘Where do you want me to start?’

‘Stay where you are.’ Logan hung up and slid the phone back in his pocket. Then stood. ‘We’ll be in touch, Mr Peterson.’ He leant forward, looming, and the student shrank back again. ‘Don’t leave town; remember I’ll be watching you.’

Rennie leant back against a filthy Vauxhall, pink face raised to the sun, hands in his pockets, little white cables dangling from his ears, eyes closed.

Logan poked him in the shoulder. ‘How did you get a pool car?’

‘Eh?’ He took out his earbuds. ‘Oh, hi, Sarge. Did he cough? Whoever you were noising up?’

‘Bloody Eric told me all the cars were booked!’

‘Really? He was fine with me. Maybe-’

‘What happened with the archives?’

‘Not a lot. Couple of idiots kidnapped a jeweller’s daughter; animal rights activists dug up someone’s mum and demanded an end to animal testing at the Rowett; gang grabbed the wife and kids of a bank manager in Ellon so he’d let them in to loot the place…’ Rennie stared off into the middle distance. ‘Oh-ho, hold your breath, here comes Biohazard.’

Bob was shambling out of the block of student accommodation opposite, jacket over his shoulder, shirtsleeves rolled up to expose two forearms so hairy it looked as if he was wearing a furry pullover. He waved, then ambled over.

Logan turned, looking up at the block behind them. The one where, with any luck, Craig Peterson was currently crapping himself. ‘Waste of time then.’

‘Sorry, Sarge.’ Rennie rubbed his hands together. ‘So, come on — who were you winding up?’

‘Jesus, I bloody hate students. Bunch of animals…’ Bob had a scratch at his pelt, then nodded at Rennie. ‘Constable, what a happy coincidence! I’ve got a big list of tosspots who need interviewed.’

Rennie shook his head. ‘Sorry, Guv, but I’m officially DS McRae’s minion till Friday. We’re grilling Alison McGregor’s classmates. McRae and Rennie, at the ready!’

Bob raised his arms to the sky, then let them fall back to his sides with a theatrical groan. ‘Logie, you’ll let me borrow the loon, won’t you?’

‘Nope. Soon as we’re done here we have a nationwide search on historic kidnappings to wade through.’

‘Aw, come on — we could divvy up Bruce’s mates. Three of us, we’d get through them in no time.’

‘Goodbye Bob…’ Logan took a step away, then stopped, turned, and went back to the car. ‘You might want to keep an eye on one Tanya “Tiggy” Marsden. According to Craig Peterson she was Bruce’s girlfriend, but she says they were just friends.’

Bob raised one side of his monobrow. ‘Oh aye, trying to distance herself after the fact? Think she’s his dealer?’

‘Doubt it.’ Logan told him about Stumpy the Dwarven Queen.

A grimace. ‘That’s sod all use…’ The grimace turned into a smile. ‘Still, at least it takes the source off our patch — I can fob it off on Tayside. I was going to renege on buying you that pint, but I’ve changed my mind. Now lend us the wee loon here, and I’ll throw in a packet of crisps.’

Logan looked back up at the block of student flats. Someone was staring back down at them. Craig Peterson, stroking his billy-goat beard. Logan made a gun from his thumb and forefinger, pointed it at Peterson, then shot him in the face.

Chapter 32

Logan made a special point of checking up on Peterson’s alibi. Adrian Kerr: MSc E-Commerce Technology; posters of The Muppet Show, China Town, a football team composed of half-naked women. Nicholas Tawse: Psychology; Citizen Kane, Che Guevara, Monty Python’s Flying Circus.

They both backed up Peterson’s story — of course — but it was still fun to make the stuck-up little sods squirm. Petty, but fun.

Logan met up with Rennie back in the car park.

‘Anything?’